My husband and I have recently decided our grocery bill is completely out of control. We have so much going on that worrying about the grocery budget has taken a backseat, but then we realized that we had been spending around 150% of our allotted grocery budget for several months. No bueno! Something had to…
Do you struggle to stay on task? Using a timer is a simple trick to keep you focused—here’s why. Do you struggle to stay on task? I do. I’m really good at starting things, but I fully admit that finishing them often seems difficult. I get distracted, I get overwhelmed, I have no motivation. Whatever…
Whenever I host book club at my house, I love trying to come up with refreshments that match the book. Sometimes that’s easy because there is a particular food mentioned in the book or the book is set in a foreign country. But even if coming up with the idea is easy, I usually need…
Reading any book is a wonderful way to help children develop empathy. Here are seven books for middle-grade readers that go the extra mile in teaching kids to be empathetic. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to teach kids to be more empathetic and kind lately. After writing a very emotional post about my…
This post is part of an ongoing Summer Reading for Kids series. Click HERE to find ideas for reading activities, reading lists, and reading incentives…and keep checking back for more! We only have three more days of school left, and I’m just getting to choosing the summer reading for my kids this year. I’ve been thinking about it…
The visiting teaching message for June 2016 is about temple ordinances and covenants. As a person who lives nearly 7 hours away from the nearest temple, I really enjoyed reading this lesson. Ever since I moved here, the chances I have had to visit the temple are much more meaningful to me in general. I…
It’s everywhere—all over the news and social media—Harambe, a silverback gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, was killed in order to save the life of a child who had managed to get into his habitat. I have watched the videos and read a few articles, and while it is so very sad that a beautiful and…
Dads are notoriously difficult to buy for. I know my dad would always just say, “I don’t need anything—you kids being kind to one another is a good enough gift for me!” when we asked him what he wanted for any occasion. While that’s nice, it’s not particularly helpful for those of us who actually…
Are you worried your child is being bullied by someone who is supposed to be a friend? Look for these ten warning signs that your kid might have a friendship that is toxic and unhealthy. I learned about toxic friendships when my daughter found herself being bullied by her best friend during middle school. She…
Are you a mom who feels like you are barely hanging on? Try these tips to really get yourself organized. Running a home and a family is not for the faint of heart, and I suspect that I’m not the only mom out there who struggles to stay organized. Interestingly enough, the things I have…
Want to be a happier, more confident, and BETTER mom? Learn how to change the way you dress and become a better mother in the process. Motherhood was a big change for me. One of the things I struggled with most after having babies was finding myself and really understanding who Lara was underneath this…
Summer is a great time for kids to get off their screens and get outside or do other activities. Here are 9 easy screen-free activities to do with your kids this summer. Like many parents, I’m all about limiting the screen time at my house. While a little bit of screen time is absolutely fine—even…